“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24:36
“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” Mark 13:32
“It is thought by many, that this passage proves that men are never to know the time. But if it proves this, it likewise proves, that the Son of God Himself, is never to know the time; for the passage declares precisely the same concerning Him, that it does concerning angels and men. But, can any person believe that our glorious Lord, to whom all power in heaven and earth is given, is, and will remain ignorant of the time until the very moment that He comes to judge the world?
“If not, then certainly this text can never prove that men may not be made to understand the time. An old English version of the passage, reads, ‘But that day and hour no man maketh known, neither the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.’
“This is the correct reading according to several of the ablest critics of the age. The word ‘know’ is used here, in the same sense as it is by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:2. Paul well understood many other things, besides Christ and Him crucified, but he determined to make known nothing else among them. So in the passage first quoted [Mark 13:32], it is declared that none but God the Father, maketh known the day and hour; that is, the definite time of the second coming of His Son. And this necessarily implies that God makes the time known.
“I believe the above, to be a fair and correct view of the subject, and that the Father will make known the true time of the advent, without the agency of men, angels or the Son.
“‘For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 12:22–25
“Jesus has left us the sure promise, that His Father will make known the day and the hour of His coming. The ‘Lord God’ has promised to speak, and assures us that the word that He will speak ‘shall come to pass.’ With such testimony as this before us, from the Father and Son, what other conclusion can we come to, than that the ‘word’ which the Father is to speak is the true time, and when He speaks, His voice will make it known to His saints?” –James White, A Word to the Little Flock, p. 5–6
Benson Commentary:
On Mark 13:32, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man”–in Matthew 24:36, “Neither the Son, but the Father.”
It is stated in 1 Corinthians 2:2, Paul writes, “I determined to know nothing among you, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified,” that is, “I determined to make known, to preach nothing among you, but Jesus Christ.” So likewise in the text, But of that day and that hour
none maketh you to know, none hath power to make you know it (just as the phrase, Matthew 20:23, “is not Mine to give,” signifies, is not in My power to give;)—no, not the angels, neither the Son, but the Father.
Neither man, nor angel, nor even the Son Himself, can reveal the day and hour of the destruction of Jerusalem to you, because the Father hath determined that it should not be revealed. The divine wisdom saw fit to conceal from the apostles, and the other disciples of Jesus, the precise period of the destruction of Jerusalem, in order that they might be laid under a necessity of watching continually.
Barnes Notes on the Bible:
Others have said that the verb rendered “knoweth” means something to “make” known or to reveal, and that the passage means, “that day and hour, none makes known, neither the angels, nor the Son, but the Father.” It is true that the word has sometimes that meaning, as in 1 Corinthians 2:2, but it is natural to ask where has “the Father” made it known. In what place did He reveal it?
Matthew Pooles Commentary:
Mark 13:32–33. God hath concealed from us the knowledge of the last day that we might watch all our days.
–All commentary references taken from Biblehub.com/commentaries (on Mark 13:32)
“The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” Joel 3:16
“The voice of God, that is to shake the heavens and the earth, comes ‘out of Zion’, and is uttered ‘from Jerusalem’ . . . at the pouring out of the seventh vial. In Revelation 16:17 we read, ‘And there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.’ At the same time, there is a great earthquake, produced by the ‘voice from the throne,’ which shakes down the cities of the nations, and removes the islands and mountains. This ‘voice from the throne,’ which causes the earthquakes, must be the same as the voice uttered ‘from Jerusalem, ‘which shakes the heavens and the earth.’ Joel 3:16 and Jeremiah 25:30–31. It seems clear that this voice which is to come ‘out of the temple of heaven. . . . is the voice of God.’” –James White, A Word to the Little Flock, p. 4
“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.” Revelation 16:17
According to James White, as stated on page 6 of A Word to the Little Flock, “we may now see that it is the seventh vial, and the voice of God, which will shake the powers of the heavens, and cause the great earthquake or the shaking of the earth: and that this event constitutes the last literal sign, just before the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven.”
“There is a day that God hath appointed for the close of this world’s history. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. Prophecy is fast fulfilling.” –Last Day Events, p. 16
“Deliverance of the Saints. The sky opened and shut and was in commotion. The mountains shook like a reed in the wind, and cast out ragged rocks all around. The sea boiled like a pot and cast out stones upon the land. And as God spoke the day and the hour of Jesus’ coming and delivered the everlasting covenant to His people, He spoke one sentence, and then paused, while the words were rolling through the earth. The Israel of God stood with their eyes fixed upward, listening to the words as they came from the mouth of Jehovah, and rolled through the earth like peals of loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn” –Early Writings, p. 34
“God Tells His People the Day and Hour of Jesus’ Coming—The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus’ coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel of God stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked cannot look upon them. And when the blessing is pronounced on those who have honoured God by keeping His Sabbath holy, there is a mighty shout of victory. –The Great Controversy, p. 640.” –Heaven, p. 30
“God announces the time of Christ’s coming. Soon we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’ coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. –Early Writings, p. 15 (1851).” –Last Day Events, p. 272
“I have not the slightest knowledge as to the time spoken by the voice of God. I heard the hour proclaimed, but had no remembrance of that hour after I came out of vision. Scenes of such thrilling, solemn interest passed before me as no language is adequate to describe. It was all a living reality to me, for close upon this scene appeared the great white cloud, upon which was seated the Son of man.” –Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 75
“The day and hour of Christ’s coming announced. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.’ Matthew 24:36
“The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus’ coming, and delivering everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth.” –Maranatha, p. 287
Those who “watch” will know the time. –E.G. White, egwritings.org/en/book
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:42–44
“The day and hour of Christ’s second coming are not revealed in the Scriptures. Neither is the year in which this glorious event is to take place pointed out. No one of the prophetic periods reaches to the second coming of Christ.
“The time from the end of the prophetic periods to the coming of Christ is emphatically the waiting, watching time. Those who watch, as our Lord commands, will know the time. No man will make it known; for it is not revealed to man in the Scriptures. Angels will not make it known, though they may minister to and communicate with, the children of men. Neither will the Son. But the Father will make it known when He speaks again from Heaven. He once spake the Ten Commandments in the hearing of the people. His voice then shook the earth. When He speaks again, the heavens and earth will both shake. Says Paul: ‘Whose voice then shook the earth; but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.’ Hebrews 12:26. ‘The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake.’ Joel 3:16 . . . .
“Revelation 3:3, is also to the point: ‘Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.’ Those who do not watch, will not know the hour. Those who watch, will know the hour. . . .
“Says James, ‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.’ James 5:7–8.” –James White, The Second Coming of Christ, p.62–64 (all underlining throughout the article mine)
Marlene Reid, Brisbane, Australia